Acetone, CH3COCH3, is a nonelectrolyte; hypochlorous acid, HClO, is a weak electrolyte; and ammonium chloride, NH4Cl, is a strong electrolyte. (a) What are the solutes present in aqueous solutions of each compound? What solute particles are present in an aqueous solution of HClO?

Key Concepts

Electrolytes and Nonelectrolytes

Electrolytes are substances that dissociate into ions when dissolved in water, allowing the solution to conduct electricity. Strong electrolytes, like ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), completely dissociate into their constituent ions, while weak electrolytes, such as hypochlorous acid (HClO), only partially dissociate. Nonelectrolytes, like acetone (CH3COCH3), do not produce ions in solution and therefore do not conduct electricity.

Dissociation of Weak Electrolytes

Weak electrolytes, such as HClO, do not fully ionize in solution. Instead, they establish an equilibrium between the undissociated molecules and the ions produced. In the case of HClO, it partially dissociates into H+ ions and ClO- ions, resulting in a mixture of both ionized and non-ionized species in the solution.

Solute Particles in Aqueous Solutions

The solute particles present in an aqueous solution depend on the nature of the solute. For acetone, the solute particles are intact molecules of CH3COCH3. In the case of NH4Cl, the solute particles are NH4+ and Cl- ions. For HClO, the solution contains a mixture of HClO molecules, H+ ions, and ClO- ions, reflecting its behavior as a weak electrolyte.